Protests in 21 US varsities against Delhi violence

March 3, 2020
Washington: A student-led group from the Yale University has called for demonstrations across 21 varsities in the US against the violence in Delhi, which has claimed the lives of 46 people in the Indian capital, a media report said.

“A Holi Against Hindutva” demonstrations have been organised by Students Against Hindutva, a South Asian student activist group, the American Bazaar newspaper said in the report on Monday.

In a statement on Monday, Shreeya Singh, founder of the group, said: “This fight is the most patriotic fight I have ever fought for, and I believe it is the diaspora’s duty to stand behind the protesters risking their lives day after day for India’s secular soul.”

On the demonstration plans, the organisers said that they will ask participants to be dressed in black as opposed to Holi’s traditional white attire and will also supply only white coloured powder.

“The goal of this symbolic use of black and white is to signify that we are not in celebration but in condemnation. Raising awareness about recent events in India among people in the US and students on campuses across the country is of utmost importance to our mission,” they added.

The universities where the demonstrations will take place are Yale University, Cornell University, UCLA, Claremont Colleges, UC Davis, Harvard University, Princeton University, Brown University, Dartmouth University, Purdue University, American University, Bard College at Simon’s Rock, University of Pennsylvania, Northeastern University, Columbia University, Wellesley College, University of Illinois, Chicago, Rutgers, UC San Diego, Michigan State and Duke.

Besides the 46 fatalities, the violence that erupted in northeast Delhi last week also injured over 260 people, IANS